Reynaldo C Santos

Reynaldo, also known as Rene or Rey, is survived and missed by his loving children, Ruby (with husband Ronald Miller), Raymond (with husband Robert Goodman), Ronald (with partner Tina Franco). He is forever cherished and remembered by his six grandchildren: Daniel and Jake Blair; Keana, Ryan, Kalia and Easton Santos. His memory lives on with his relatives both on the Centeno and Santos sides, as well as with his wife’s relatives among the Garcia and Arsua families.

Reynaldo was preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Rosalinda; his parents, Gabriel and Loreto; and his brothers, Gabrielito, Ibarra and Florante.

Reynaldo was born in Bulacan, Philippines on November 22, 1928. He was an outstanding student, graduating magna cum laude from university with a degree in accounting. He went on to become a licensed Certified Public Accountant, starting his career in international banking at Philippine National Bank (PNB). He rose the ranks quickly, eventually retiring as Vice President of PNB in the late 80’s. It was at PNB where he was lovingly referred to as “Mr. Saints.”

He met and married Rosalinda Garcia Mariano on June 18, 1960. They had three children, Ruby, Ray and Ron – a family of 5 R’s. Reynaldo moved the family to San Francisco, CA to head up PNB’s San Francisco branch. Keeping his family home base in the Bay Area, he traveled all over the world for his job. He even took his wife around the world for pleasure twice, in case they missed anything the first time.

Reynaldo was a well-read and intelligent man. But his main genre was history, specifically World War II Europe. He read and maintained a library of hundreds of books about WWII. He loved word puzzles and games, from Scrabble to mahjong to solitaire to daily crossword puzzles.

He was passionate about sports. He enjoyed playing basketball, even coaching a team at one point, golf and bowling. When asked what he was doing during the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he said he was listening to NCAA basketball games over the radio. An avid sports spectator, he was good with any medium, may it be the radio, television or stadium. He especially loved Bay Area sports teams and passed that love on to his children.

A devout Catholic, Reynaldo read the Bible daily and went to mass regularly, accompanying his wife to her church choir practices. He had very strong values and tried to live his life with honesty and integrity. He was a provider, opening up his homes and resources to relatives and friends who needed help and making sure his own family was not in need. He was a protector, making sure his family was safe and comfortable. And Reynaldo was a true gentleman, even to the end. He thought of others and tried not to inconvenience anyone.

In his memory, and in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to his memorial fund, which will offset internment and memorial costs and support Alzheimer’s Association and Catholic Charities.

Memorial services for Rey Santos will be held on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, with refreshments following thereafter. Please RSVP to Ruby Santos at [email protected], by Friday, January 27, at which time memorial service details will be sent directly to you.